George Russell Takes Honest Shots at Max Verstappen’s First Ever F1 Championship; Calls Lewis Hamilton True Champion

After many controversial takes on F1 Championship 2021, Mercedes driver George Russell has come forward to answer who his real winner is.

By Blesson Daniel

Published on Aug 22, 2024 | 08:09 PM IST | 148.6K

Lewis Hamilton & George Russell [Credit-Instagram@georgerussell63]

A triple combination of worst-case circumstances has been identified as the reason for George Russell's underweight vehicle in Formula One's Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell was disqualified after winning at Spa-Francorchamps last month because his Mercedes W15 was discovered to be 1.5kg under the minimum weight restriction during post-race scrutineering.

As the 2024 F1 season enters its second half, George Russel was questioned in an interview about who he thought genuinely won the 2021 F1 drivers championship, and the guy went for his colleague Lewis Hamilton.

Russell said, “It's been an honor to be teammates with an eight-time world champion... I've learnt so much from him"

After the journalist kept on persisting by asking him, "Eight-time Champion?". Russell said, "I honestly consider 2021 to be Lewis"

It doesn’t come as a surprise as many believe Lewis Hamilton was robbed of the championship whereas some other fans believe it was inevitable.

The 2021 Formula One season concluded under some of the most controversial conditions ever witnessed in the sport.

That year, Max Verstappen won his first World Drivers' Championship title in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as one of the most closely contested title races came to a climax on the track.

Verstappen and on-track opponent Lewis Hamilton had been battling all season, with a lot of accidents and pivotal moments bringing their title duel to the last race of the year.

Hamilton and Verstappen were tied on 369.5 points heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and fans were captivated by an incredible winner-take-all title finale.

Prior to a late safety car stoppage, Mercedes' Hamilton appeared to be on his way to his eighth world title, but everything changed on Lap 53 when the FIA, led by Michael Masi, made one of the boldest judgments in recent history.

Understandably, Hamilton and his Mercedes team were furious with the conclusion of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which gave Verstappen the title, and they immediately contested the decision.

The German manufacturers argued that FIA chief Masi had failed to respect sporting standards by allowing just five of the seven lapped cars to unlap themselves under safety car conditions. It was evident the decision should not have been made, but the outcome remained when the stewards exonerated Verstappen of any wrongdoing.

Hamilton would go on to tell the press that "so only one time, in the history of the sport, that they haven’t done the rule,".

Mercedes subsequently announced their intention to take their case to the International Court of Appeal, but they eventually abandoned their appeal before the FIA's end-of-season banquet, which team principal Toto Wolff and Hamilton both declined to attend.

Masi was eventually fired after a few months, following the FIA's own inquiry of the 2021 last race. The audit highlighted how the Australian failed to properly apply safety car regulations, but the outcome remained, and Verstappen retained his 2021 title.

Also Read: Why Was George Russell Disqualified and Stripped of 2024 F1 Belgian GP Win? Deets Inside